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Zoids: Chaotic Century Episode 41
'The Devil's Maze ' control, Schubaltz's Iron Kong MK II battles Thomas' Dibison.]] The Devil's Maze is the seventh episode from the anime series Zoids: Guardian Force based on TOMY's and Zoids model franchise. Overview The episode begins one stormy night with Colonel Schubaltz making his way to an Imperial military base, accompanied by two other officers. Unbeknownst to them, the base is under the control of the Ancient Zoidian named Rease, who is using her psychic ability to manipulate everyone there. Inside, Schubaltz meets up with Captain Tsubaki, who says he is the officer in charge of the base. Schubaltz follows, saying that yesterday, his unit received an urgent emergency signal transmitted from here, and he wants to investigate. After Tsubaki insists that the transmission was a mistake, Schubaltz tells him that when he tried to get confirmation, there was no response. Consequently, Schubaltz had to come to the base himself personally to check the situation. The whole group enters an elevator and continues to talk. It is mentioned that yesterday, at the base, there was a dismantling of a Snow Jamming device, which could have resulted in the transmission of the signal. Schubaltz asks if Tsubaki has finished disposing of the high-energy explosives stored at the base. When Tsubaki tells Schubaltz that there's no need to worry, the elevator doors open, and several Imperial troops hold Schubaltz and his accompanying officers at gunpoint. Tsubaki begins to act strangely, saying that he and Schubaltz were chosen to carry out the rebirth of the world. Schubaltz then looks up on the ceiling and notices a Double Sworder Zoid. On a cliff outside the base, Thomas notices that flag lifted up on a pole, well-aware that it is the mark of the Empire's 1st Panzer Division--his older brother's unit. Meanwhile, Van, Zeke, and Fiona get a small debriefing. It turns out that the military base was a facility used to store up weaponry that had been accumulated during the war. They then listen to a troubling message that was sent through--the voice is that of Captain Tsubaki. In the background of the recording, the Double Sworder can be heard. Van realizes that Rease is the one responsible. Fiona follows up saying that every person inside the base is under her control. Thomas returns with some troubling news, as he used BEEK to perform a scan of the base's interior. He tells everyone that within the underground blocks, the temperature is rapidly increasing--he suspects all the cooling system valves for the reactor have been turned off, then shows the damage calculations that BEEK made, explaining that if the temperature keeps increasing, the reactor will cause a massive explosion, setting off two-hundred mega tons of explosives also stored at the base. Thomas figures they have roughly two hours in which the valves have to be reopened before the explosion sets off. Back out on the cliff, Van and Thomas begin to argue. Thomas claims that this is a matter relating to the Empire, and that it's his to deal with alone; if Van wants to tag along, he has to stay out of the way. Before Van can retaliate, Fiona stops him. As Thomas walks away, Van and Fiona turn to look at the base again, and notice the flag of the Imperial 1st Panzer Division. Meanwhile, Rease has managed to restrain Schubaltz by tying him down to a chair. She then brainwashes him, using a small insect-type Zoid (that resembles the Double Sworder) to control his mind. Soon after, Van, Thomas, and Fiona begin planning out their strategy. BEEK has found two underground passageways that lead to the reactor. Fiona points out that while one is big enough for large Zoids, like the Blade Liger, to navigate through, the second tunnel is barely large enough for Zeke. Thomas proposes that they split up and head in separately. Van ends up going through the smaller tunnel with Zeke, and Thomas through the larger tunnel in his Dibison. Sleeper Molgas in the larger tunnel and Realgas in the smaller are deployed to stop them, but are quickly disposed of. Van uses the BEEK Mobile AI gun Thomas lent him, while Thomas uses BEEK to calculate the most efficient way to attack the sleepers. While they fight, Specula, who was sent by Rease, shows up to take Fiona into the base. After they finish off the Sleepers and Realgas, Van tells Thomas that he thinks he relies too much on machines. Meanwhile, Fiona has been taken into the base by Specular, and comes face-to-face with Rease. The two of them argue for a bit concerning the nature of human beings. Rease snaps her fingers to turn on a monitor behind her that shows Thomas and Van trying to navigate the underground passageways. tells Van about his past, where he grew up in a wealthy home with his brother, Karl.]] Van and Thomas continue to talk to each other using BEEK's communication systems. They realize that the one in charge and being manipulated by Rease is Thomas' older brother, Karl Schubaltz. Thomas goes on to explain their past, saying that Karl took on the burden on the family name, and was very capable in both academics and martial arts. Thomas, meanwhile, was a child fascinated by machinery--to this day, he wants to create some of the world's most advanced machinery so that he can be as respected as his brother. However, Thomas admits that even after he developed BEEK, Karl wouldn't accept him as a worthy soldier. Karl still thinks that Thomas relies too much on machinery, and should learn to break that habit. In the middle of their talk, Van gets attacked by foot soldiers, and Thomas by the Iron Kong MK II, which he quickly realizes is his brother's Zoid. When Thomas tries to communicate with his brother, Karl, under the control of Rease, attacks him. The Kong grabs hold of the Dibison's Twin Crasher Horns and is able to turn it over. Van uses a sort of sleeping gas on the Imperial troops trying to attack him. Tsubaki is left however, and attacks Van with a sword, which Van is easily able to shatter before knocking him out. However, before he and Zeke are able to continue on, Rease sends a hologram of herself holding Fiona hostage. Thomas gets distracted by this illusion as well, and Karl's Iron Kong throws the Dibison through the wall. Van and Zeke analyze a powerful electrical signal coming from the control tower (where Rease is holding Fiona), but are attacked by a sleeper Molga equipped with a timed bomb. Meanwhile, the Kong begins to smash apart the Dibison's shot cannons on Rease's command. Fiona then successfully breaks Rease's control of everyone in the base by snapping a wire attached to Specular which was amplifying Rease's signals. Karl wakes up, but his Iron Kong is still being influenced, and continues to attack Thomas. Karl, seeing this, orders Thomas to destroy the Iron Kong and continue with his mission. He tells Thomas that he is a good solider. Van breaks into the control tower to rescue Fiona. Back in the tunnel, Thomas jams his Dibison's horn into the chest of the Iron Kong, freezing it. He tells Karl that he should learn to trust his knowledge in machines. Karl says he's right. Rease is forced to retreat with Specular and her Double Sworder, saying that they're still doomed--they'll never reach the reactor in time to stop the explosion. But Van tells Fiona that it's alright. He sent Zeke down to the reactors to turn on the cooling system again. Everything ends well. Thomas runs to Fiona and says he wanted to come rescue her, but his brother was causing him a bit of trouble. Everyone laughs, and the episode comes to a close. Zoids *Iron Kong *Darkhorn *Double Sworder *Dibison *Molga Trivia *Much of the fight between Karl and Thomas was cut out in the English dub, due to Thomas receiving an injury on his head that causes him to bleed across his face. In the Japanese version, BEEK actually analyzed the Iron Kong MK II, attempting to figure out its weak point. Thomas aims his Dibison's guns based on BEEK's calculations, but the AI malfunctions and seemingly shuts down, leaving Thomas to fight on his own. Though by this time, Karl has recovered from Rease's mind control, the Iron Kong still remains influenced, and continues to attack Thomas. Karl then orders him to destroy the Iron Kong and bids him farewell. Thomas manages to stop the berserk Kong by hitting it precisely in the area that BEEK previously pointed out. *In another instance, Rease begins choking Fiona, who pushes her away. See also: Zoids: Guardian Force Category:Guardian Force Episode Category:Zoids Anime